Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/18/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am writing to formally lodge a complaint against the University of Dayton for their poor handling of my concerns and lack of communication. Despite multiple attempts to contact them via email, I have not received a single reply, which is extremely frustrating. I have repeatedly requested a refund of my deposit due to the university’s failure to clearly communicate about prerequisite modules before enrollment. However, there has been no response or resolution to my issue. It has been months since I first contacted the university, submitted the refund form, and followed up multiple times, yet I have not even received an acknowledgment or update. The university’s lack of transparency and accountability is unacceptable. ESA Prerna, a representative, claimed I agreed to the enrollment contract so I'm not eligible for a refund, but the university failed to inform me about the prerequisite modules before I agreed. I trusted that all necessary information had been provided, but after paying the deposit, I received an email asking me to complete paid prerequisite modules. The university had my transcripts and could have clearly informed me in the conditional offer letter or at least before I paid the deposit. This oversight has caused significant inconvenience and financial strain. What is even more troubling is ESA Prerna’s dismissive response, which felt like an attempt to avoid accountability rather than address the issue. This lack of professionalism and compassion is deeply disappointing, especially from an institution that claims to uphold Marianist values. Even after informing them about the financial strain I'm going through, the university's ESA didn't even care about it. Being an educational institute, this isn't how a university treat a student. Admission no. [**********]

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/24/2025

  The University of Dayton takes seriously its commitment to transparency and strives to communicate promptly and professionally with students throughout the admissions process.  In response to this student’s specific complaints: 
  
  *The student was provided and signed a Statement of Understanding on 5/25/24 that stated that they had read and understood the ‘Enrollment Contract’ (********************************************************), which outlines the eligibility requirements for deposit refunds and states that deposit refunds are only available in cases of visa denial. 
  *Prior to submission of the tuition deposit, the student received a COL (Conditional Offer Letter) that stated, "Important Note: Based on an evaluation of your academic background, you may be required to complete pre-arrival preparatory course modules."  
  *The university also promptly responded to a student email asking about the modules, again informing them that modules may be required and more detailed information would be sent to the student after completion of the admissions process outlined in the COL. 
  *After receiving this information, the student chose to proceed with the application process, including payment of the tuition deposit. 
  *Prior to enrollment, the student received detailed information about the modules they were required to complete through several email communications with admissions office staff, MBA department staff, and Enrollment Services Advisors.  
  *In July 2024, the student requested to defer their application to a later term because, “it would be helpful for me to clear the necessary preparatory modules" and "I will be working meanwhile and complete the preparatory modules.” 
  *After receiving a visa and choosing to attend another university, both campus staff and university representatives responded in a professional and polite manner to multiple emails explaining that the student did not meet the eligibility requirements for a deposit refund. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/24/2025

  
  Complaint: ********
  

  I am rejecting this response because: Unfortunately, their response does not adequately address my concerns regarding their lack of transparency, failure to disclose crucial module requirements before deposit payment, issuance of an incorrect I-20, and misleading communication. I would like to provide further clarification on the sequence of events and key issues that remain unresolved.

   

  1. Failure to Disclose Module Requirements Before Deposit Payment

  • I submitted all my educational transcripts before receiving my conditional offer letter from the University of Dayton.

  • Despite having all my academic records, the university failed to inform me about additional module requirements before I paid my deposit.

  • Upon reviewing the conditional offer letter, I had concerns and sent an email on June 26, 2024, requesting clarification regarding module requirements. However, I never received a response from the university.

  • The university imposed a strict deadline for deposit payment, stating that students must submit all documents and pay the deposit to receive an I-20.

  Given my Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, I reasonably assumed that additional finance-related modules would not be required. I also consulted with the university’s representative, who was unaware of the policies and did not inform me that additional modules would be required.

  Since visa slots were about to open, I had no choice but to proceed with the deposit payment to secure my admission, under the assumption that I had met all academic requirements.

   

  2. Incorrect I-20 Issuance and Its Consequences

  • Shortly after paying the deposit, I received an I-20 with the wrong CIP code on June 27, 2024.

  • If I had used this incorrect I-20 in my visa interview, I would have only been granted a 2-year visa instead of 5 years, which would have severely impacted my studies and future prospects.

  • Being aware of CIP codes, I immediately contacted the university to correct this issue. However, they took until July 1, 2024, to issue the corrected I-20.

  • By the time I received the correct document, all visa slots had been booked, leaving me with no opportunity to proceed with my application.

   

  3. Unjustified Module Requirements After Deferral

  • Due to the university’s errors and delays, I had no choice but to defer my admission.

  • After deferring, I reviewed all prior communications with the university and realized that I had submitted all my transcripts at the time of application.

  • If the module requirements were truly necessary, why were they not mentioned in the conditional offer letter before deposit payment?

  • I requested a review of the module requirements, as I found it unreasonable to complete finance-related modules given my Commerce background.

  • I even provided the entire syllabus of my previous coursework for evaluation, yet the university failed to justify why these modules were required and refused to reconsider their decision.

   

  Key Issues That the University Has Failed to Address:

  1. Why did the university not inform me about the required modules before I paid the deposit, despite having my transcripts?

  2. Why was my June 26, 2024, email ignored, leaving me without crucial clarification before making a financial commitment?

  3. Why did university representatives provide misleading information, making me believe additional modules would not be required?

  4. Why did the university issue an incorrect I-20 with the wrong CIP code, delaying my process and preventing me from booking a visa slot?

  5. Why did the university refuse to reconsider the module requirements, even after reviewing my syllabus and academic background?

   

  Requested Resolution:

  The university’s lack of transparency, failure to communicate, and administrative errors caused me to miss my visa opportunity and suffer financial loss.

  Had they properly disclosed the module requirements in the conditional offer letter or responded to my June 26, 2024, email, I would not have proceeded with the deposit payment.

  Had the university issued the correct I-20 the first time, I would have secured my visa slot on time.

  Given these circumstances, I demand a full refund of my deposit, as I was misled into paying it based on incomplete and inaccurate information.

  I request the Better Business Bureau to ensure the University of Dayton takes full responsibility for their mismanagement and provides an appropriate resolution to my case.

  I look forward to your assistance in resolving this matter.

  Sincerely,
  ********* ****** ***********